Two Years in Office, Ogun Lawmakers Appealed to Gov. Abiodun to Release Constituency Project Allowances.

The 26 members of the Ogun State House of Assembly have celebrated their second year as lawmakers in the state, but with no constituency projects.

The ninth Assembly was constituted on June 10, with Olakunle Oluomo emerging as the Speaker.

With their emergence as lawmakers, there were high expectations from constituents, who saw a new beginning in a house made up of a sizeable number of youths.

This is simply so because the members had made promises to embark on various constituency projects if they were elected to represent their people at the ninth assembly.

However, the lawmakers are yet to fulfill their promises, 24 months after they came on board.

Our correspondent understands that most of the lawmakers are now being dragged on social media by their constituents, who would not stop comparing them with their predecessors.

It will be recalled that one of the legislators from Ado-Odo/Ota II constituency, Musefiu Lamidi, had during plenary in October 2020, expressed concern over what he termed the “misinformation in some quarters that members had received constituency project allowances” but had failed to do the needful.

Lamidi said he was accused by his constituents that Governor Dapo Abiodun had approved money for them to embark on constituency projects; an insinuation that was dispelled by the Speaker.

For face saving, some of the lawmakers have been embarking on ‘lacklustre’ projects to prove their relevance to constituents, who are already running out of patience.

It was gathered that some of the legislators carry out the ‘minor projects’ from their monthly salaries, which the Speaker said stood between N500,000 and N680,000.

But, Speaker Oluomo said their inability to embark on constituency projects was as a result of Gov Abiodun’s refusal to release funds to that effect.

For the second time, Oluomo said in a recent interview on radio that the governor is yet to release a dime to the lawmakers for the execution of projects in their constituencies.

Oluomo said the State government asked them to hold on about their constituency projects.

“In Ogun State Assembly, this is two years, we have not gotten Kobo from the government for constituency projects. We have not gotten a dime for constituency projects. This is our second year now. We have not received a Kobo for constituency projects.

“And we understand the government, because there is no local government you will not see the government repairing schools, renovating primary health care centres. There is no local government you will go without seeing them (the government) doing one road or the other.

“What they are saying is that we should hold on about our constituency projects. We understand. But the truth of the matter is that no honourable member; apart from our salaries and allowances, in the last two years, has gotten anything,” Oluomo stated emphatically.

The reports said that the legislators, while marking their second anniversary Tuesday, made a unanimous call for the implementation of more infrastructural projects, especially road construction and rehabilitation in their respective constituencies.

They appealed to Abiodun to release their constituency project allowances to enable them implement projects to complement the existing infrastructure put in place by the State Government in their constituencies